§ Jon TrickettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if, as part of the consultation for draft legislation on National Identity Cards, he will seek views on the advisability of incorporating Braille identifiers; [153296]
(2) what research has been carried out by his Department on the possibility of incorporating Braille in a proposed National Identity Card; what estimate he has made of the likely costs; and if he will make a statement. [153297]
§ Beverley HughesThe Government will welcome views on how Braille identifiers could be incorporated into the National Identity Cards scheme which my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced on 11 November 2003. We have no plans to carry out any specific research at this stage.
The Government propose to proceed incrementally by setting up a National Identity Register and making current widely held identity documents such as passports more secure. In determining how Braille identifiers might be incorporated into such documents, the Government will need to adhere to agreed international standards governing their format.